Does this question engage you or take you out of your comfort zone? Does it put you on the spot? REFLECTIONS is award-winning author and former educator John Fioravanti’s answer.
Offering his interpretations of fifty quotes by contemporary and ancient thinkers alike, John dives deep below the surface of words and explores the deeper meanings that shape his view of the world.
Deeply personal and presented in a self-effacing manner, these self-aware reflections will encourage you to dig deep within yourself and to discover more about the underlying truths that guide you.
Without trumpets or fanfare of any kind, John Fioravanti aspires to inspire you!
My review
This book is a wonderful collection of quotes from a spectrum of people who have all achieved great success. The manner in which each individual has aspired to his/her goals or greatness is reflected in most of the quotes and the author provides an interesting interpretation of what each quote means, for everyone, but also in terms of his own life, aspirations and achievements.
I related strongly to many of these quotes and enjoyed the variety of thoughts shared in this book. The quotes are attributable to people from all walks of life and from a number of different eras throughout history. It was fascinating to see how many characteristics and driving forces within highly successful people in life are still relevant today. Some of the historical figures whose quotes are included in this book are Florence Nightingale, Aristotle and Anne Frank.
There are also a number of quotes by motivational speakers, writers, poets and political activists all of whom share the common goal of striving towards a better world for all people. I did not know all of the people quoted, as many of them are American, but the author has included a mini autobiography at the beginning of each analysis so I was able to appreciate each persons contribution to society and mankind even if I had not previously heard of them.
A great read and one I highly recommend.
Purchase REFLECTIONS: Inspirational Quotes & Interpretations by John Fioravanti
Have you ever gone on a literary pilgrimage, and if so where and why?
I have done a few literary pilgrimages to visit the homes and other places associated with famous poets and authors I admire. The reasons for my visits are because I am absolutely fascinated by people and how they lived and worked and wrote. I love seeing their homes and learning more about them.
During our trip to the UK in August 2017 we visited Stratford-upon-Avon and visited the home of Anne Hathaway as well as the birth place of William Shakespeare.
Anne Hathaway’s cottage in Stratford-upon-AvonThe other side of Anne Hathaway’s cottage – so pretty and quaintReplica of the main bedroom at Anne Hathaway’s cottageThe birthplace of William ShakespeareWindow in Shakespeare’s birth place signed by a lot of famous authors including Charles DickensThe garden behind Shakespeare’s birth place. There were a few young aspiring actors practicing their Shakespearean acts in the garden on this particular day which was very nice for us.
Have you visited Stratford-upon-Avon? If you had to go on a literary pilgrimage, whose home would you visit?
I have been to numerous other famous houses including the Bronte Museum, the home of Robert Burns, the home of Charles Darwin, the home of Erasmus Darwin and Sherlock Holmes’ house. We have also visited The Globe Theatre in London which was fascinating.
I would have visited more but we have to be fair during our holidays so it alternates between one female choice of destination and then one male choice. Luckily for me, I am the only female in our family of four. I wonder who decided on the venue selection mechanism – tee hee.
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The Three Rondavels in Graskop, Mpumalanga, South Africa, are three round mountain tops with slightly pointed tops. They look similar to the traditional round or oval African homesteads made with local materials called rondavels and this is the reason for the name.
These three geological formations were also once known as ‘The Chief and his Three Wives’. The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng (‘the chief’) after a legendary Bapedi chief, Maripi Mashile, who defeated invading Swazis in a great battle near here. The three peaks are named after his three wives (from left to right) – Magabolie, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto.
My picture of the Three RondavalsHere are my three boys giving me the Heebie-jeebies by standing so close to the edge – and I know there’s a railing but it doesn’t help!A different viewing point in the areaPicture of an African rondavel by Stephen Gerner Flickr. You can see more of his great work here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sgerner/7849486272
If you ever find yourself on the Strange Hwy—don’t turn around. Don’t panic. Just. Keep. Going. You never know what you’ll find. You’ll see magic at the fingertips of an autistic young man, •A teen girl’s afternoon, lifetime of loss. •A winged man, an angel? Demon—? •Mother’s recognition, peace to daughter. •Danny’s death, stifled secrets. •Black man’s music, guitar transforms boy. •Dead brother, open confession. •First love, supernatural?—family becomes whole! You can exit the Strange Hwy, and come back any time you want. See, now you know the way in, don’t be a stranger.
My review
Strange Hwy: Short Stories is, as its title suggests, is a collection of intriguing short stories written about those defining moments in the lives of humans when occurrences and situations have unexpected and momentous impacts on individuals and their families. The author has written with deep insight into such occurrences and his accurateness in defining the possible fallout is quite frightening. The reader is pulled right under the skin of each specific character and experiences their fear, pain and suffering.
My three favourite stories were as follows: Alterations: This is a story about a young teenage girl, Madeline, who declares, right up front in the story, that she was indirectly responsible for the death of her father. Madeline comes from a middle class American family and her father works at the near by ship yard, overseeing the building of the ships to the specifications set by the US government. Her mother is conservative and also quite naive and these qualities, together with Madeline’s natural curiosity and sense of adventure, create a terrible situation for the family. A Russian family move in next door and appear to be a father and his daughter. The father plays beautiful music on the piano and Madeline’s mother is keen for her to befriend the daughter in the hope that her father will undertake teaching Madeline. Madeline does befriend the daughter, a woman of the world, with disastrous consequences.
Wordless: I particularly liked this story because of its overarching quality of hopefulness. Jamie Lynn is a bright young girl who is a high achiever at school and in life generally. As a result, she is bullied at school by other girls who feel threatened by her success, but this doesn’t get her down. Jamie Lynn has decided on what she wants from life and worked out the path to achieve her ambitions. She also wants to help her father who is illiterate. Jamie Lynn undertakes to teach her father how to read and sets about this task with great fortitude and determination.
Looking for Lucy: This was my favourite story in the collection. I really enjoyed its paranormal element and the fact that it is also, ultimately, a story of overcoming problems in life and achieving happiness and success. Vrable is the son of a wealthy land-owning farmer who is a bit dull and set in his ways. His mother, a bit of a fun loving woman, strays and has an affair which leads to her moving out of the family home and moving to the city. Vrable goes with her and only sees his father periodically. Vrable is lonely and ends up befriending the granddaughter, Lucy, of their elderly neighbour. Lucy’s parents are both gone, we never found out how or where, and she is being brought up by her grandmother who is sick at the time Vrable meets her. Vrable’s friendship with Lucy gives him a new perspective on life and results in a change in the state of affairs that has befallen his family.
I never thought I would bake my children’s birthday cakes and I never thought I would write a book, let alone twelve
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
This is an interesting question. I would answer immediately that I don’t believe I will ever write a series, but my Sir Chocolate books are a series, so I have written one. I don’t really consider a children’s picture book series to be what this question is all about, and on that basis, I will revert back to my initial response that I don’t think I will ever write a series.
Why? Well, I have two reasons:
I don’t really read book series. I have read the Harry Potter books and The Lord of the Rings (I’m not sure if LOTR’s counts as a series as it is really one book broken into three parts for publishing and printing convenience) and I have read three Indie author series, Hode’s Hill by Mae Clair, some of the Braxton Campus cozy mystery series by James J. Cudney and the Zelda Richardson series by Jennifer S. Alderson. That is the sum of the adult book series I have read. Most of my reading consists of standalone books and I love classics which are usually standalone. As a result, I believe my aspirations are to write a really good standalone book; and
By the end of my books, I have had enough of the characters and the premise they are involved in and I don’t want to revisit it. I need to write part II of my mom’s story, After the Bombs Fell, and I am finding it hard to set my mind to it. When a book finishes for me, that is it, the end of the journey.
On the other hand, me being I, maybe I shouldn’t say never. Who would have thought I would ever write a book in the first place. I trained for seven years to become a chartered accountant and another three years to become a specialist in financial reporting for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. I have written a number of books about investing in Africa, African stock exchanges and the African debt markets. I have also written articles about corporate governance. I also became accredited as an approved executive for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and a trainer for the financial reporting requirements of the exchange. I never planned or expected to do any of these things either.
I jumped from this non-fiction writing to writing my rhyming verse Sir Chocolate books with my son, Michael. I then wrote a children’s book for young readers about a male equivalent of My Naughty Little Sister and his trip to Cape Town with his family. I have a poetry book, a fictionalised biography of my mom’s life growing up during world war II, a supernatural fantasy book and I am nearly finished a supernatural historical novel of 110 000 words. I also have horror short stories included in two anthologies, paranormal stories included in one anthology and murder mystery stories included in another.
I can’t guarantee that the urge to write a series won’t descend upon me at some point and then maybe I will write one.
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Bourke’s Luck Potholes in Mpumalanga, South Africa, is a natural water features that indicates the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon. These swirling whirlpools have formed over centuries as the Treur River plunges into the Blyde River causing waterborne sand and rock to grind large and cylindrical potholes into the bedrock of the river.
Bourke’s Luck Potholes are named after a gold digger, Tom Burke, who staked a claim nearby. Although his claim did not produce a single ounce of gold, he correctly predicted that large gold deposits would be found in the area.
The photographs below are in the order they were taken during our exploration of this famous natural tourist attraction.
Where do they come from? They come out of the night… Where do they go to? Back to the night they return… They dance in the dark to pipe and drum and fiddle They dance in the dark with fire and brandished flame…
No-one knows who they are…
But why do they dance?
What is the story behind this magical spectacle…
There are rumours, legends…
Don and Wen set out to investigate.
In a darkened corner of the Waggon and Horses, Langsett, a hooded and enigmatic figure whispers secrets…
My review
I purchased the hard copy of this graphic novel and I was very pleased that I did. The artwork is very visually appealing and really adds to the enjoyment of this intriguing and mysterious story.
I was not familiar with the legend of Mister Fox or the dance which tells his story until I read this book. I was intrigued by the story of the crow that hatched a devious plan to steal the sun from old man fox who cared for it. The way in which the crow tricks old man fox and his vixen daughter reminded me of other myths and legends I have read, in particular, Brer Rabbit, which was a great favourite of mine when I was a girl.
Of course, as with all good tales, the crow gets caught and punished and is doomed to spend his life trapped in time, where he is cast by old man fox and his fox troupe, and surrounded by “seven leaping tongues of flame.”
The next part of the book tells the tale of how the story of Mr Fox came to in Yorkshire and associated with certain sports and revelries which have survived over the years.
According to this book, the fox dance is still performed on the night of the Hunter’s Moon in a secretive and mysterious way. The identities of the dancers are also a secret and only known within the dance troupe.
An informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated graphic novel.
This week’s open book blog topic is What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?
Most of my blogger friends will know that I like to write about historical figures which means that my stories and books include a lot of “real” people. The pinnacle of my historical writing to date is my new novel, A Ghost and His Gold, a supernatural historical novel told on two timelines and involving three ghosts. All of these ghosts died during or soon after the Second Anglo Boer War or South African War and the book delves into the details of their lives living through this war.
As the book is set in a historical time zone, it involves real locations and battles including the sieges of Mafeking, Ladysmith and Kimberley and the Mafeking Concentration Camp. My initial inspiration for this story was a real ghost story when Ouma [Granny] Smuts [the wife of South African General and President Jan Smuts] saw a ghost in their home in Irene, Pretoria. The two paragraphs I read about this reported ghost sighting sparked my 110 000 word story.
Initially, I was going to base the story around the real ghost, but I quickly realised that using a real person who died only 100 years ago was going to be restrictive. As the ghosts was likely to have surviving relatives living in South Africa, I would need to meticulously stick to the true facts of his life and experiences and research his real personality and nature. It would be insulting to his family not to do so and to misrepresent his life in a book. It could also have legal implications for me as the writer.
I decided to rather make my three ghosts fictional which gave me the liberty to let them follow the path I chose for them. I did masses of research before I started to ensure that the facts of my fictional characters lives did all stack up with real historical events. Pieter, the Boer [farmer] in my story, needed to belong to a military commando near Mafeking as I was setting a large section of my story in that town and the concentration camp that later developed. I had to chose a town and a commando and follow the real facts of that commando throughout the war.
As the circumstances and events in this book are all real, many real historical figures make an appearance as supporting characters. For example, Robert, my British soldier in Mafeking during the siege knows Lord Baden-Powell, commander of the Garrison in Mafeking and also Lady Sarah Wilson, Winson Churchill’s aunt, who was in Mafeking during the siege. All of the British military leaders featured in the book were real people, including Lord Roberts, Lord Kitchener and Sir Buller, amongst others.
The same is true of the Boer side of the war. Pieter and his daughter, Estelle, are both fictional, but all the Boer leaders mentioned in the book were real people including General Piet Cronje, General Snyman, General Christiaan de Wet and many others.
I spend many hours researching these real characters and ensuring I describe them and their roles in the South African story correctly and appropriately. I discovered that it is easier to assign personality characteristics to real historical figures through the dialogue and thoughts of my fictional characters. In this way, I can voice their opinions of these men and their actions.
I have realised from reading book reviews and various articles that a large cast of characters can confuse readers. I have included a character list of the real historical figures in the front of my book as well as a timeline of the real life battles and other war milestones that feature in my novel to make it easier for readers. I have also included a few original Boer war maps so that readers can visualise the places and layout of battles and defenses.
These are a few of my thoughts about writing using historical figures. Have you ever used real historical figures in your fiction?
During our last trip to Knysna in the Western Cape, we visited the Knysna Elephant Park (est. 1994) which is the first facility in South Africa to house and care for orphaned African elephants.
It was a wonderful experience and we learned that over the last twenty years, the park has cared for and raised more than forty elephants. These animals cared for by the park include relocated animals, orphaned calves, elephants rescued from culls and ex-circus animals. Some remain long term and become part of the resident herd, while others are eventually moved to other reserves and facilities in the Western and Eastern Cape. The decision as to whether to keep an animal at the park permanently or find another good home for it depends on the animal’s personality, bonds with other animals and welfare needs.
My dad and my older son, Gregory, petting one of the elephantsMy dad showing my mom how to pet one of the elephants. Mom was a bit nervous of his large size.
My dad had a go at feeding an elephantMy dad, my younger son, Michael, and I enjoyed petting the elephant while the keeper looked onAn elephant in front of one of the shelters
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